Mamelodi Sundowns doctor Carl Tabane says utility player Thapelo Morena has entered the critical phase of his recovery from an ankle fracture injury.

Morena‚ who suffered fracture and ligament damage on his right ankle in a Nedbank Cup Last 16 match that Sundowns won 1-0 against SuperSport United in February‚ had his cast successfully removed last week.

“This is the most important part the recovery process.

"You can have a good operation but if you don’t have good rehabilitation‚ you may never come back‚” said Tabane.

“I know that he is a strong boy mentally and he is in a good head space‚ which is important after a bad injury like this.

"We have players like Sibusiso Vilakazi and Oupa Manyisa who have fully recovered from similar injuries and they have been speaking to him.

"They played a crucial role in giving him some sort of counseling and assuring him that he will recover.

“Villa (Vilakazi)‚ whose injury was also bad‚ is back playing and it is the same with Oupa who is doing full training after their long injuries.

"These types of Injuries take time to heal but it is our duty as the medical team to offer a player necessary support they need to make a comeback.”

Though signs are positive after the removal of the cast‚ Tabane said there is still a long way to go before Morena could return to the field.

“He is seven weeks post operation but the positive step is that his cast was removed last week‚ and he has started with the rehabilitation process‚" he said.

"We have given him a programme and he knows that he is not supposed to put weight on the leg.

"He will be working on strengthening the muscles and also doing mobility exercises. We have a group of physiotherapists‚ fitness trainers and masseurs who have given him a programme to follow.”

Due to the coronavirus outbreak‚ players are training on their own at home but Tabane is not concerned that Morena and other injured players will not come to Chloorkop every day.

“He is a very committed and highly disciplined person and we are confident that he is following the programmes every step of the way‚" he said.

"It is the same with the other players who are fit or have minor injuries‚ they have programmes and they know what to do in terms of training on their own.”